Rack for holding boots, shoes, and lasts.



H. W. PERKINS.

RACK FOR HOLDING BOOTS, SHOES, AND LASTS. APPLIOATION FI'LED BBQ. 15, 1911.

1 @58 1 95. Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY W. PERKINS, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO J RUSH GREEN, OF CHARLESTOWN, .MASSACHUSETTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 8, 1913.

Application filed December 15, 1911. Serial No. 666,018.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, HENRY W. PERKINS, a citizen of the United States, resident of Somerville, county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Racks for Holding Boots, Shoes, and Lasts, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to a rack for supporting or holding boots, shoes and lasts. Racks of this general type are extensively employed in shoe factories for holding the boots and shoes during the process of manufacture and for transporting them from one stage of the processof manufacture to another.

While the rack of this invention is useful for supporting or holding any form of boot, shoe or last, it is particularly designed for the supporting and holding of low cut or Oxford shoes and of lasts, because in the latter cases it has hitherto been found difficult if not impossible so to support the articles that they will remain in position during themovement of the rack and under the conditions of handling to which it is subjected.

The invention will more fully appear from the accompanying description and drawings, and will be particularly pointed out in the a pended claims.

The drawings show preferred forms of the rack embodying the invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an end elevation of a rack of the alternating type; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a portion of the rack shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion of the rack shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a detail view showing the arrangement when the rack is of the double type; Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail ross section to show the relation between the supporting members and the shoe or last; Fig. 6 is a perspective view of one of the supporting members.

The rack com rises a frame, which may be of any suitab e material or construction. It is herein shown as having a base made up of side bars 1 and end bars 2 and mounted upon casters 3. The ends of the frame are shown as vertical uprights 4 connected by cross bars 5, and these ends are shown as braced over the base by diagonal braces 6.

The present invention provides a plural ity of horizontal supporting bars 7 suitably mounted in the frame and preferably extending longitudinally of the frame, that is, from end to end. In the constructions illustrated these supporting bars 7 are mounted upon the end cross bars 5. They may be arranged in different ways according to the size and style of rack. In Figs. 1 and 2 the horizontal supporting bars 7 have a staggered or alternating relation, thus enabling, as will be seen, the articles supported thereby to form alternating rows on each side of the rack. As shown in Fig. 4, these horizontal supporting bars 7 are arranged parallel to each other, forming What is termed a double rack, and other arrangements may be employed if desired. The horizontal supporting bars serve as the support for the toe end of the boot, shoe or last as well as for the supporting members to bedescribed.

The invention also provides a plurality of pairs of supporting members projecting outwardly from the horizontal supportin bars. These members are shown at 8, one of them being illustrated in enlarged detail in Fig. 6. Each supporting member terminates at the end engaged by the horizontal supporting bar in a somewhat elongated cylindrical shape 9 and at its free end in a wide flat head 10 concaved on its inner face as indicated at 11 to fit the side of a boot, shoe or last heel portion. The supporting members are arranged in pairs with the free ends converging to prevent the boot, shoe or last from slipping out endwise. The construction illustrated also provides for both the longitudinal and rotary adjustment of these supporting members in the horizontal supportin bar. These adjustments are secured by t e shank 9 fitting in a bore in the horizontal bar and being held in the desired longitudinal or rotary adjustment by suitable locking means, such as the set screws 12.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 5 the manner in which the shoe or last is supported can readily be seen. The supporting members converging with the concaved inner head surfaces fit snugly against the sides of the boot, shoe or last and prevent it not only from slipping out but from turning on what might be termed its longitudinal axis. In the case especially of low cut or Oxford shoes or lasts the center of gravity is near the bottom of the article, which, in the case of these racks,

is supported bottom upward. These articles are therefore very liable to turn into an upright position, that is, with the sole portion down. This invention provides a rack which holding the boot, shoe or last at the heel portion prevents this turning movement.

It is of the greatest importance that the boots, shoes and lasts, particularly boots and shoes, shall be handled in such a manner that no injury or marring thereof shall take place vduring the process of manufacture. These results are secured by the present rack, because the article is supported in such a manner that no substantial movement thereof takes place nor is the article liable to displacement upon the movement or changing of the rack. The horizontal supporting bars and the sup iiorting members are preferably made of wood, which presents a surface that will notinjure or damage the shoe, although it is obvious that they may be made or covered with other material. The rotary adjustment of the supporting members enables them to conforn1 most closely to the supported article and allows for variation in style or size, while the longitudinal adjustment provides for variation in size and the variation in length of a shoe from a last. A single rack may be thus adapted, when desired, to hold both shoes and lasts at the same time so that, for example, the

lasts supported on the rack may be removed, the shoe lasted, and the lasted shoe returned to the place from which the last was taken.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A rack for holding boots, shoes and lasts, comprising a frame, a plurality of horizontal toe supporting bars, a plurality of pairs of supporting members projecting out-- wardly from and secured in said bars, the members of each pair presenting vertical enlarged heads concaved on their opposing faces to fit the sides of, and support, the boot, shoe or last heel portion.

2. A rack for holding boots, shoes and lasts, comprising a frame, a plurality of horizontal toe supporting bars, a plurality of pairs of supporting members projecting outwardly from and secured in said bars, the members of each pair converging toward their free ends and presenting vertical enlarged heads concaved on their opposing faces to fit the sides of, and support, the boot, shoe or last heel portion.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY W. PERKINS.

Witnesses:

BESSIE G. MORRIS, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained 51? five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

